Stop Soot: The Easiest Way to Slow Climate Change

Soot, also known as black carbon, is the second-leading cause of global warming after carbon dioxide, and it's totally preventable. We already have the technology to avoid producing it; it's just a matter of using it.

Black carbon casts a deadly shadow worldwide, from the sprawl of Los Angeles, to the slums of Mumbai, to the Arctic ice that sustains polar bears and other wildlife. But quick action to cut black carbon can slow Arctic melting, fight global warming and save lives.

The chief culprit in global warming is carbon dioxide. But recent studies show that black carbon—microscopic airborne particles commonly known as soot—is also a big factor. According to a recent study, black carbon may account for as much as half of Arctic warming. Along with deep cuts in carbon dioxide, curbing black carbon is crucial for slowing Arctic and global warming, and for averting catastrophic tipping points such as the melting of sea ice and the Greenland ice sheet.

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Alexanna Salmon is the village administrator of the Alaskan community of Igiugig (population: less than 70). Her village is turning off diesel generators and turning on solar and wind power—and showing the rest of us how to end our addiction to fossil fuels. Watch the teaser to the full-length video.

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